Latest Magic News – February 4, 2004Inside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

Rogers Magic Shop

Magic Dreams

Rick and Karen Rogers are featured in the Albany Democrat-Herald for their new venture, The Rick Rogers Family Magic Shop. Husband and wife are both magicians but consider themselves to be approachable. ?We?re not serious magicians, we like to laugh at ourselves.?

But knowing magic does provide an edge over the other stores that simply sell magic sets or the occasional bubble-packed trick on a point-of-sale rack. ?“A lot of stores that carry this stuff, the people there won’t even know how to open the box, let alone know how to use it.? In one case, the couple worked with a grandfather until he understood the effect well-enough to teach the intended recipient of the magic set he just purchased. Says Mr. Rogers, ?I worked with him until he had it down. It’s fun to teach this stuff.”

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Rogers Magic Shop

Magic Dreams

Mrs. Rogers claims to have never seen a magic trick until her husband exposed her to the Art. ?I never saw a magic trick until I met my husband,” Karen Rogers said. “Up to that point, I’d been shy and retiring, but he put me on stage, and that was it.”

In addition to magic, the store rents hard-to-find DVD?s. They are doing well. They just opened on January 6 and have already had to rip out a back wall to make more room for both DVD?s and magic.

Check out the full story in the Albany Democrat-Herald here.

Read the virtually same article, different emphasis from the Corvallis Gazette-Times here.

Great Newsletter

One of my favorite newsletters from a local magic ring or assembly comes from the incredibly talented Dale Rabon from the Coe Norton Ring 105. The Presto is a great resource for magic reviews and essays. Plus, after attending the SCAM convention, I am convinced this organization is not only dedicated to improving our Art but that they are the future of our art. There were so many talented magicians at the convention that I was stuck with a perpetual smile. Great people, great magic and a fantastic newsletter. Contact Dale Rabon, Ring 105 Secretary, and he?ll hook you up. Do me a favor, tell him that Tim from Inside Magic sent you. That will make him like me.

To contact Dale, click here.

To visit the Coe Norton Ring 105 Web Page, click here.

To visit the SCAM website, follow this link.

Magazine Special

Magic

Stan Allen?s Magic Magazine on-line presence is growing in quantity and quality. Mr. Allen told me during a conversation in Las Vegas during the World Magic Seminar that it was his goal to bring things to the web that did not take away from the magazine or even duplicate what could be read monthly. A perfect example of this philosophy is the fascinating interview with the late Derek Dingle conducted for the May 1997 edition of Magic. The interview was conducted by Tamara Marotta, better known as Twila Zone, Rich Marotta?s wacky assistant. A great exchange in the interview:

MAGIC: So you think it is important to develop your own personality?
DINGLE: That’s the one thing. That’s what we’re talking about. Not magicians. We’re talking about lay people now. Personality, entertainment value, is the only thing that’s important.

Check out Magic?s site by clicking here.

Columbus Magi-Fest

Columbus Magi-Fest

This weekend will be so special that someone from Ann Arbor, Michigan will actually travel to Columbus, Ohio without a football game scheduled. The incredible Columbus Magi-Fest begins on Thursday and runs through Saturday with a fantastic line-up of lecturers and performers. Dan Garrett and Henry Evans (2003 Inside Magic Magician of the Year) will be appearing. If you are in the Midwest and not planning on attending for at least part of this convention, you need re-evaluate your priorities.

Check out the Magi-Fest website here.

TV Specials

Lance Burton

Lance Burton stars in his More Science of Magic series on the Science Channel.

Tonight (Wednesday 2/4/04) at 9:00 eastern and tomorrow (Thursday 2/5/04) at midnight, 5:00 am, 8:00 am, 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm eastern. ?Sneak behind the magician’s curtain to learn the scientific principles behind grand illusions. Popular magician Lance Burton hosts this demonstration of the tricks behind flawless magic.?

Check out the link at Science Channel here.

Magic In the Streets will premier this month, February 21^st at 11:00 am eastern on the Travel Channel.

The show will be rebroadcast on February 26^th at 2:00 pm. This has been a very good series and this episode appears to be one of the better. ?In Los Angeles, the world’s best magicians work their wonders in the streets without trap doors, mirrors or beautiful assistants. Witness this mind-bending magic, from amazing up-close illusions to death-defying, Houdini-style street escapes.?

Check out the link at the Travel Channel here.

Houdini’s Bio for Kids

Houdini on Biography for Kids Saturday, February 7^th at 7am ET/PT

Portrait of the prestidigitator whose great escapes made his name synonymous with magic itself. In his heyday from 1900-26, Houdini dazzled audiences with his baffling tricks, many of which were captured on film and are presented here.

Check out the listing information on Biography Channel here.